Havens department store is a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
based in
Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea (often abbreviated to Westcliff) is an inner city area of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is on the north shore of the lower Thames Estuary, about 34 m ...
,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and, until its closure in 2017, was the only remaining independent department store based in the borough of
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
.
History
Havens was opened in 1901 by Rawdon Havens as a specialist retailers of China Tableware and Crystal Glass in Hamlet Court Road,
Westcliff
Westcliff-on-Sea (often abbreviated to Westcliff) is an inner city area of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is on the north shore of the lower Thames Estuary, about 34 m ...
.
The current store was opened in 1935 and was listed as Grade II in 2016.
In May 2017, Nigel Haven announced that the store would be closing and moving to an online retailer only. The building was rented to
Age Concern
Age Concern is the banner title used by a number of Charitable organization, charitable organizations (NGOs) specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four cou ...
as a
community hub
Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
.
References
Department stores in Southend-On-Sea (town)
Department stores of the United Kingdom
Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom
Defunct department stores of the United Kingdom
Buildings and structures in Southend-on-Sea
Retail companies established in 1901
1901 establishments in England
Department store buildings in the United Kingdom
Grade II listed buildings in Essex
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